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Morrow expects to be OK in next scheduled start

5/5/13: Brandon Morrow turns in a strong start, striking out eight and allowing just two runs on three hits over eight innings to earn a win

By Jon Cooper
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Special to MLB.com |

ATLANTA -- Brandon Morrow left Tuesday afternoon's game with Atlanta after the second inning with the kind of forearm pain he'd never experienced before. On Wednesday he said he fully expects that he won't experience that pain again come Sunday, his next scheduled start.

"I expected it to be sore today because I threw yesterday," said Morrow, who is 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA, but has only one loss over his last four starts. "I'll get it treated all week, take it easy on the throwing. I expect to make that start on Sunday and do everything I can to get it feeling as good as I can."

Morrow allowed four runs in his two innings Tuesday, but only one of the three first-inning runs was earned, as the Blue Jays committed two errors behind him. He also allowed a home run to Braves center fielder Jordan Schafer in the second, leaving after the inning having thrown 47 pitches, 31 for strikes.

The injury left him more than a little bit curious and disappointed in being unable to go further.

"You'd think it would be more like in the flexor area but it's more on the opposite side," he said. "I couldn't get enough on the fastball to really make it effective. It was hurting the command as well. It was tough to get on top of the slider. It wasn't going that well and they could tell it was something.

"There is a lot of stuff that you can push through, kind of mind over body thing but this one wasn't letting me," he added. "It was like that muscle wasn't working."

The location of the injury leads Morrow to believe that rest and treatment will have him okay by the time his next turn comes around.

"I'll probably throw on Friday, take these two days off from throwing, just to give it the most chance to recover and throw Friday," he said. "That will probably be the biggest sign in how I'm doing."

The Blue Jays will watch with caution.

"It doesn't look like anything serious. Right now he's lined up for Sunday," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "There is a scenario that he would need to get moved back a few days but we're going to wait at least an extra day to see how he feels. If he doesn't feel 100 percent, obviously we'll make the adjustment."

Jon Cooper is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.